Foot-power-operated vehicle



g. T. BABBITT. FooTPowEa OPERATED VEHlCt-E; APPucAT-mu FILED :uuii f4,1921.

11,412,331, Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

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' Ray TIES 13131111 Elihu" wf APPLICA'HON man JUNE 14. 192

RAY '1. BABBITT, 0F PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN.

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To all echo m it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY T. Barnum, a citizen of the United States,residing at Petoskey, in the county of Emmett and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Pmver-0peratedVehicles, of which the following is a specification; I

This invention relates to toyvehicles and the primary object of theinvention is to provide an improved occupant propelled vehicle embodyinga novel propelling means constructed so that a young child can operatethe same with ease and without practice or instructions, said operatingmeans eliminating the employment of cranks, and connect ing rods. inwhich a certain stroke at a cor tain timed interval is necessary for theelfectivc'operation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel foot operatedmeans for propelling toy vehicles, in which any desired length strokecan be given, without adjusting, for propelling the vehicle, the saidmeans including an actuating drum and ratchet members operativelyconnected to the drive axle and with the drum.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a vehicle having a bodyconstructed to simulate the appearance of an animal, preferably a horse,the horsejaeing provided with stirrups, which are adapted to receive thefeet of the child and which are utilized for operating the propellingmeans A still further object of the invention is to provide a noveloccupantpropelled vehicle of the above character, which will present apleasing and attractive; appearance and which is durable and efficientin use, and which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of, parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a, part of this specification, in whichdrawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved toy vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the" same taken on the line 2-2of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 15 a View similar to Figure 1 show- 111g parts of the device inlongitudinal section.

Specification of Letters Patent.

(the Patented Apr. 11, 1.922.

Application filed June 14, 1921. Serial No. 477,544.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section through a portionof the vehicle showing the means of mounting the propelling pulleys andratchets on the drive axle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.the letter A indicates the body of the vehicle, B the steering mechanismfor the vehicle, and C the operating means therefor.

'ihe body A of the vehicle can be of any preferred character, but it ispreferred that the same be constructed andshaped to simulate theappearance of an animal. As shown the body A is shaped to simulate theappearance of a horse and the rear legs 5 thereof are provided withbearings 6 for receiving the drive axle 7 which has keyed or otherwisesecured thereon the drive ground engaging wheels 8. These wheels 8 maybe of any preferred character, and as shown, the same are of the wirewheel type and are provided with rubber tires 8.

The steering mechanism B is carried by the front portion of the body A,which is bored vertically at the longitudinal center thereof forrotatably receiving the steering post 10. Any suitable type of bearingcan be carried by the body for rotatably receiving the steering may beprovided whereby shifting movement of the steering gear will beprevented. The lower end of the post 10 is provided with a fork 11 whichrotatably receives the axle 12 on which is mounted the ground engagingsteering wheel 13. This wheel 13 is constructed in the same manner asthe rear drive wheels 8, only the diameter thereof is smaller than therear wheels. The upper end of the post 10 can be provided with anypreferred steering mechanism and as shown, handle bars 14 are securedthereto. These handle bars 14 the body adjacent to the head of thehorse. The body A at its lower surface is provided with an inwardlyextending recess 01' chamber 16 for reception? of a portion of theoperating mechanism, which will now be described. v

The propelling or operating means C coin prises terminals of which areprovided with hearing pins, 21 which-are rotatahlymount are arrangedabove 4 post 10 and suitable means a longitudinally extending drum 2Q,

center thereof and has wound about the same the web or drive strap 23.Theterminals of the drive strap 23 are fitted with suitable stirrups orthe like 24 for receiving ,the feet of the rider.- Thus it can be seenthat the drum can be operated, upon the;

sleeve 27, which is arranged on the drive axle. The drive axle has keyedor otherwise Secured thereto a pair of ratchet wheels 28 and 29 whichare arranged adjacent to the rotatablepulley wheels and 26. Each of thepulley wheels 25 and 26 is provided with pivoted dogsBO which areadapted to engage the ratchet wheels when the pulley wheels are rotatedin one direction, but which are adapted to slide over the ratchet teethwhen the pulley wheels are rotated in a reversed direction. In order todrive the pulley wheels 25 and 26 from the drum 20 an endless cable 32is provided. This cable 32 has its forward intermediate portion coiledaround the drum as at 33 and extended outwardly from the opposite sidesthereof. These runstot the rope which extend from the opposite side ofthe cable are trained around suitable guide pulleys M which may besecured to the side walls of the recess 16 formed in the body A. Theseruns of the cable are then coiled around the pulleys 25 and 2G and havetheir rear intermediate portion traincd around a suitable central guidepulley 35, which can be secured in place in any preferred manner. and asshown a suitable hanger 36 is provided, which is secured to the rearwall of the recess 1.6.

In operation of the improved toy, the child sits upon the back of thehorse and places his feet in the stirrups 2-1, and then pushes firstdown on one stirrup and then down on the other. This rotates the drum,first in one direction, and then in the other. it can be seen that whenthe drum is rotated in one direction a pull will be exerted on one runof the cable or oneside ot' the body and a slack on the other run ontheother side of the body. The run on which the pull is being exerted willrotate this pulley wheel in a. counter clockwise direction, and the dog30 will catch the ratchet wheel 28 thus rotating the drive axle 7 in acounter clockwise direction and move the vehicle forward, The otherpulley wheel will be rotated in a reverse direction and its dog 30 willslide over the other ratchet wheel. Upon the rdverse movement of thedrum, the other pulley wheel is rotated in a counter clockwise directionwhich drives the drive axle. 7 while the other pulley wheel is rotatedin a clockwise direction and its dogs slide over its ratchet, wheel andthus does not impart movement to the axle. By this construction it canbe seen that irrespective of the kind or length of the stroke of thestirrups, the drive axle 7 will always be rotated in a counter-clockwisedirection to drive the vehicle forward. This mechanism makes the vehicleeasy to operate by the young children, who fail to operate vehiclesdriven by pedals and the like. in which the stroke has to be of acertain length and at a certain time. v

Changes in details may be madc without departing from the spirit orscope yof this invention. i

I claim:

1. In an occupant propelled vehicle, a body constructed to simulate theappearance of an animal having a recess formed in the central portionthereof. a steering wheel can ried by the forward portion of the body, adrive axle carried by the rear end of the body, drive wheels secured tothe drive axle. a longitudinally extending drunr arranged in the recess,hangers secured in the recess rotatably supporting the drum. a flexiblestrip coiled about the drum, feet. receiving members secured to theterminals of the strip. drive pulleys rotatably mounted upon the driveaxle, ratchet wheels secured to the axleadjaceut to the pulleys, pivoteddogs carried by the pulleys arranged to engage the ratchets uponmovement thereof in one direction, guide pulleys arranged in the recess,and an endless operating cable trained about the guide pulleys and thedrive pullcys, and abbut said drum.

2. An operating means forvehicles comprising a rotatable drum, a drivestrip coiled about the drum, feet receivinglinembcrs secured to theterminals of the strips, guide pulleys arranged on each side of thedrum,

:1 central guide. pulley arranged in rear of the first mentioned guidepulleys, adrive axle, a pair of spaced drive pulleys rotatably mountedupon the drive axle, ratchet wheels secured to the drive axle, pivoteddogs car-:

ried by the drive pulleys arranged to engage the teeth of the ratchetw-heels upon move,- ment of the drive pulley wheels in one direction, anendless drive cable having its forward intermediate portion coiled aboutthe drive drum and having its rear intermediate portion trained aboutthe-centrally disposed guide pulley, the intermediate portions of theendless. drive cable being trained about the first mentioned guidepulleysdmd about said drive pulleys. I a; I

' RAY T. BABBITT.

